Monday, September 17, 2007
Islamic State of Iraq threatens to assassinate Sunni leaders
Security, Tribal
(AP) -- An al Qaeda front group threatened to assassinate Sunni leaders who "stained the reputations" of their people by supporting the Americans as the Iraqi government's parliament base fragmented Saturday with the defection of a hardline Shiite bloc. The two developments cast doubt over prospects for political and military progress in Iraq as the U.S. Senate gears up for a debate next week on Democratic demands for deeper and faster troop cuts than President Bush plans.
The threat against Sunni leaders came from the Islamic State of Iraq, which claimed responsibility for the assassination Thursday of Abdul Sattar Abu Reesha, the mastermind of the Sunni Arab revolt against al Qaeda in Anbar province. Bush met Abu Reesha at a U.S. base in Anbar this month and praised his courage.
The threat against Sunni leaders came from the Islamic State of Iraq, which claimed responsibility for the assassination Thursday of Abdul Sattar Abu Reesha, the mastermind of the Sunni Arab revolt against al Qaeda in Anbar province. Bush met Abu Reesha at a U.S. base in Anbar this month and praised his courage.
In a Web posting, the Islamic State said it had formed "special security committees" to track down and "assassinate the tribal figures, the traitors, who stained the reputations of the real tribes by submitting to the soldiers of the Crusade" and the Shiite-led government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. "We will publish lists of names of the tribal figures to scandalize them in front of our blessed tribes," the statement added.
In a second statement, the purported head of the Islamic State, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, said he was "honored to announce" a new Ramadan offensive in memory of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the founder of al Qaeda in Iraq killed last year in a U.S. air strike. Hours after the announcement, a car bomb exploded late Saturday in a mostly Shiite area of southwest Baghdad, killing at least 11 people lined up to buy bread at a bakery. Two of the dead were children, police said.
The blast occurred at the start of iftar, the evening meal at which Muslims break their dawn-to-dusk Ramadan fast. The bloodshed was a blow to government hopes that a peaceful Ramadan would demonstrate the success of the seven-month operation in the capital.
A prominent Sunni sheik told The Associated Press that the province's leaders would not be intimidated by al Qaeda threats and would continue efforts to drive the terror movement from their communities. "We as tribesmen will act against the al Qaeda, and those standing behind it who do not want us to put an end to it," Ali Hatem al-Suleiman said.
Still, the al Qaeda threats and the assassination of Abu Reesha, one of the best protected tribal figures in Iraq, could cause some tribal leaders in other Sunni provinces to reconsider plans to stand up against the terror movement.
In a second statement, the purported head of the Islamic State, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, said he was "honored to announce" a new Ramadan offensive in memory of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the founder of al Qaeda in Iraq killed last year in a U.S. air strike. Hours after the announcement, a car bomb exploded late Saturday in a mostly Shiite area of southwest Baghdad, killing at least 11 people lined up to buy bread at a bakery. Two of the dead were children, police said.
The blast occurred at the start of iftar, the evening meal at which Muslims break their dawn-to-dusk Ramadan fast. The bloodshed was a blow to government hopes that a peaceful Ramadan would demonstrate the success of the seven-month operation in the capital.
A prominent Sunni sheik told The Associated Press that the province's leaders would not be intimidated by al Qaeda threats and would continue efforts to drive the terror movement from their communities. "We as tribesmen will act against the al Qaeda, and those standing behind it who do not want us to put an end to it," Ali Hatem al-Suleiman said.
Still, the al Qaeda threats and the assassination of Abu Reesha, one of the best protected tribal figures in Iraq, could cause some tribal leaders in other Sunni provinces to reconsider plans to stand up against the terror movement.
Labels: Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, Ali Hatem al-Suleiman, Islamic State of Iraq, Sheikh Abu Sattar Abu Risha, Sunni leaders
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Islamic State of Iraq announces appointment of education minister
Insurgency
(AP) -- A Sunni insurgent coalition in Iraq announced Monday the appointment of an education minister to the group's so-called 10-member "Islamic Cabinet," set up in April to challenge the Iraqi government. In a statement posted on an Islamic Web site, the Islamic State of Iraq, made up of eight insurgent groups, including al-Qaida in Iraq, said its leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi chose Mohammed Khalil al-Badria for the education position.
Al-Baghdadi tasked al-Badria with "protecting our sons against moral and ideological deviation and raising a new generation of sons of Islam based on true Islamic teachings and away from the filth of secular tenets." The authenticity of the statement could not be verified, but it was published by an Islamic Web forum that usually carries announcements by militant groups.
The formation of the Cabinet in April was meant to present the Islamic State of Iraq as a "legitimate" alternative to the U.S.-backed, Shiite-led administration of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki - and to demonstrate that it was only growing in power despite the U.S. military push against insurgents.
The group includes the new leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, as "war minister" and Sheik Abu Abdul-Rahman al-Falahi as "first minister." The U.S. military has identified al-Muhajer by a different pseudonym, Abu Ayyub al-Masri. Al-Qaida in Iraq is blamed for some of the deadliest suicide bombings against Shiite civilians, as well as numerous attacks on U.S. troops and Iraqi soldiers and police.
Al-Baghdadi tasked al-Badria with "protecting our sons against moral and ideological deviation and raising a new generation of sons of Islam based on true Islamic teachings and away from the filth of secular tenets." The authenticity of the statement could not be verified, but it was published by an Islamic Web forum that usually carries announcements by militant groups.
The formation of the Cabinet in April was meant to present the Islamic State of Iraq as a "legitimate" alternative to the U.S.-backed, Shiite-led administration of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki - and to demonstrate that it was only growing in power despite the U.S. military push against insurgents.
The group includes the new leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, as "war minister" and Sheik Abu Abdul-Rahman al-Falahi as "first minister." The U.S. military has identified al-Muhajer by a different pseudonym, Abu Ayyub al-Masri. Al-Qaida in Iraq is blamed for some of the deadliest suicide bombings against Shiite civilians, as well as numerous attacks on U.S. troops and Iraqi soldiers and police.
Labels: Abu Ayyub al-Masri, Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, Islamic Cabinet, Islamic State of Iraq, Mohammed Khalil al-Badria, Sheik Abu Abdul-Rahman al-Falahi
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Islamic State of Iraq denies claims that Abu Omar al-Baghdadi doesn't exist
Insurgency
(SITE) - The Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella insurgency group comprised of al-Qaeda in Iraq and others, issued a statement to jihadist forums today, Monday, July 23, 2007, declaring that an announcement by U.S. military officials that they captured a link between the group and al-Qaeda leaders such as Usama bin Laden, and discovered Abu Omar al-Baghdadi to be a fictional character, as false.
Similar to prior claims made by the Islamic State about American duplicity in allegedly capturing Mujahideen or prominent leaders, they charge this news as mere lies meant to cast focus away from the “embarrassment” of the Bush Administration. The group adds: “If we calculate by number and according to the statements of the enemy, we would find that the number of those arrested from the Mujahideen and the leaders since the beginning of the blessed jihad would come to an astronomical and unrealistic figure.”
According to media reports, U.S. forces captured on July 4, 2007 an individual identified as Khalid Abdul Fatah Da’ud Mahmud Mashadani, who allegedly served as the chief of propaganda for the Islamic State of Iraq, which itself is a front for al-Qaeda in Iraq. Mashadani is also stated to have served as a link between the Emir of al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, and al-Qaeda leadership, and divulged that the Emir of the Believers in the Islamic State of Iraq, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, is a fictional character voiced by an actor.
According to media reports, U.S. forces captured on July 4, 2007 an individual identified as Khalid Abdul Fatah Da’ud Mahmud Mashadani, who allegedly served as the chief of propaganda for the Islamic State of Iraq, which itself is a front for al-Qaeda in Iraq. Mashadani is also stated to have served as a link between the Emir of al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, and al-Qaeda leadership, and divulged that the Emir of the Believers in the Islamic State of Iraq, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, is a fictional character voiced by an actor.
Labels: Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, Islamic State of Iraq, Khalid Abdul Fatah Da’ud Mahmud Mashadani
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Captured senior Al Qaeda in Iraq leader calls Islamic State of Iraq a front
Insurgency
(CNN) - The U.S. military on Wednesday announced the arrest of a senior leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, an insurgent who, the military said, is casting himself as a "conduit" between the top leaders of al Qaeda and al Qaeda in Iraq. Khalid al-Mashadani, an Iraqi also known as Abu Shahed, was seized on July 4 in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul and is in coalition custody, the military said.
"He served as the al Qaeda media emir for Baghdad and then was appointed the media emir for all of Iraq," said Brig. Gen. Kevin J. Bergner, Multi-National Force-Iraq spokesman, who briefed reporters. He is believed to be the most senior Iraqi in al Qaeda in Iraq. During interrogations, al-Mashadani shed light on the workings of al Qaeda in Iraq and its connection with al Qaeda outside of Iraq, Bergner said.
He said al-Mashadani is a close associate of al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri and served as an "intermediary" between al-Masri, al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, the second-in-command of al Qaeda. "In fact, communication between senior al Qaeda leadership and al-Masri frequently went through al-Mashadani," Bergner said.
Bergner said al-Mashadani co-founded an organization "in cyberspace" called the Islamic State of Iraq, which he referred to as a "marketing" effort to create a Taliban-like state in Iraq. U.S. counterterrorism officials also told CNN that al-Mashadani was a top lieutenant to al-Masri and regarded as a "jack of all trades," involved in recruitment and in organizing and planning attacks, with particular interest in propaganda activities.
One of those officials said the announcement of his arrest was delayed because officials wanted to "maximize their ability to get information" from him before others he was associated with knew about his detention. Al-Mashadani also shed light on the Islamic State of Iraq, the so-called umbrella group of Iraqi insurgents that includes al Qaeda in Iraq.
That group has claimed responsibility for many terrorist attacks. But Bergner said that al-Mashadani passed on the information that the creation of the group was a ruse to cast itself as home-grown, when in fact it is led by foreigners. It went so far as to create a fictional political head of Islamic State of Iraq, Omar al-Baghdadi and an actor was used to portray him.
Bergner said Islamic State of Iraq is "a front organization" for al Qaeda in Iraq and a "pseudonym" for it as well.
"It is really being controlled, directed and guided by al Qaeda in Iraq leadership." Bergner also said al-Mashadani was a leader in the Ansar al Sunna terrorist group before joining al Qaeda in Iraq two-and-a-half-years ago.
What the U.S. military has learned from al-Mashadani and other operatives they've seized is that "there is a flow of strategic direction, of prioritization of messaging and other guidance that comes from al Qaeda senior leadership to the al Qaeda in Iraq leadership," Bergner said. Bergner emphasizes that that there is a "clear connection between al Qaeda in Iraq and al Qaeda senior leadership outside Iraq."
The arrest of al-Mashadani was announced amid controversy over President Bush's contention that al Qaeda and al Qaeda in Iraq are one and the same. The evidence has been not been significant about the extent of the relationship. But a new U.S. government intelligence analysis released Tuesday said al Qaeda's terrorist activities in Iraq not only serve to bolster the group and recruit more members, but may also be the nexus for another planned attack on U.S. soil.
The declassified portion of the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) warns of "a persistent and evolving terrorist threat over the next three years" from Islamic terrorist groups, namely al Qaeda. Al Qaeda is increasing its efforts to get operatives into the United States for an attack and has nearly all the capabilities it needs to carry out such a mission, according to the report, which represents the combined analyses of all 16 U.S. intelligence agencies.
"He served as the al Qaeda media emir for Baghdad and then was appointed the media emir for all of Iraq," said Brig. Gen. Kevin J. Bergner, Multi-National Force-Iraq spokesman, who briefed reporters. He is believed to be the most senior Iraqi in al Qaeda in Iraq. During interrogations, al-Mashadani shed light on the workings of al Qaeda in Iraq and its connection with al Qaeda outside of Iraq, Bergner said.
He said al-Mashadani is a close associate of al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri and served as an "intermediary" between al-Masri, al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, the second-in-command of al Qaeda. "In fact, communication between senior al Qaeda leadership and al-Masri frequently went through al-Mashadani," Bergner said.
Bergner said al-Mashadani co-founded an organization "in cyberspace" called the Islamic State of Iraq, which he referred to as a "marketing" effort to create a Taliban-like state in Iraq. U.S. counterterrorism officials also told CNN that al-Mashadani was a top lieutenant to al-Masri and regarded as a "jack of all trades," involved in recruitment and in organizing and planning attacks, with particular interest in propaganda activities.
One of those officials said the announcement of his arrest was delayed because officials wanted to "maximize their ability to get information" from him before others he was associated with knew about his detention. Al-Mashadani also shed light on the Islamic State of Iraq, the so-called umbrella group of Iraqi insurgents that includes al Qaeda in Iraq.
That group has claimed responsibility for many terrorist attacks. But Bergner said that al-Mashadani passed on the information that the creation of the group was a ruse to cast itself as home-grown, when in fact it is led by foreigners. It went so far as to create a fictional political head of Islamic State of Iraq, Omar al-Baghdadi and an actor was used to portray him.
Bergner said Islamic State of Iraq is "a front organization" for al Qaeda in Iraq and a "pseudonym" for it as well.
"It is really being controlled, directed and guided by al Qaeda in Iraq leadership." Bergner also said al-Mashadani was a leader in the Ansar al Sunna terrorist group before joining al Qaeda in Iraq two-and-a-half-years ago.
What the U.S. military has learned from al-Mashadani and other operatives they've seized is that "there is a flow of strategic direction, of prioritization of messaging and other guidance that comes from al Qaeda senior leadership to the al Qaeda in Iraq leadership," Bergner said. Bergner emphasizes that that there is a "clear connection between al Qaeda in Iraq and al Qaeda senior leadership outside Iraq."
The arrest of al-Mashadani was announced amid controversy over President Bush's contention that al Qaeda and al Qaeda in Iraq are one and the same. The evidence has been not been significant about the extent of the relationship. But a new U.S. government intelligence analysis released Tuesday said al Qaeda's terrorist activities in Iraq not only serve to bolster the group and recruit more members, but may also be the nexus for another planned attack on U.S. soil.
The declassified portion of the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) warns of "a persistent and evolving terrorist threat over the next three years" from Islamic terrorist groups, namely al Qaeda. Al Qaeda is increasing its efforts to get operatives into the United States for an attack and has nearly all the capabilities it needs to carry out such a mission, according to the report, which represents the combined analyses of all 16 U.S. intelligence agencies.
Labels: Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, Abu Shahed, Al Qaeda, Al Qaeda in Iraq, al-Masri, al-Zawahiri, Ansar Al Sunna, Brig. Gen. Kevin J. Bergner, Islamic State of Iraq, Khalid al-Mashadani, Mosul, Osama bin Laden
Monday, July 09, 2007
Islamic State in Iraq threatens to wage war against Iran
Region, Insurgency
(AP article) - The leader of an al-Qaida umbrella group in Iraq threatened to wage war against Iran unless it stops supporting Shiites in Iraq within two months, according to an audiotape released Sunday. Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, who leads the group Islamic State in Iraq, said his Sunni fighters have been preparing for four years to wage a battle against Shiite-dominated Iran.
"We are giving the Persians, and especially the rulers of Iran, a two month period to end all kinds of support for the Iraqi Shiite government and to stop direct and indirect intervention ... otherwise a severe war is waiting for you," he said in the 50-minute audiotape. The tape, which could not be independently verified, was posted on a Web site commonly used by insurgent groups.
Iraq's Shiite-led government is backed by the U.S. but closely allied to Iran. The United States accuses Iran of arming and financing Shiite militias in Iraq, charges Tehran denies. In the recording, al-Baghdadi also gave Sunnis and Arab countries doing business in Iran or with Iranians a two-month deadline to cease their ties.
"We advise and warn every Sunni businessman inside Iran or in Arab countries especially in the Gulf not to take partnership with any Shiite Iranian businessman, this is part of the two-month period," he said. Al-Baghdadi said his group was responsible for two suicide truck bomb attacks in May in Iraq's northern Kurdish region. He said the attacks in Irbil and Makhmur showed the "Islamic jihad," or holy war, was progressing in the Kurdish areas.
At least 14 people were killed when a suicide truck bomb struck a government building in Irbil, Kurdistan's capital, on May 9. Four days later in Makhmur, another suicide truck bomb tore through the offices of a Kurdish political party, killing 50 people.
In the recording, the Islamic State of Iraq leader did not mention Saturday's deadly truck bomb in Armili, a Shiite town north of Baghdad, which killed more than 100 people. The attack was among the deadliest this year in Iraq and reinforced suspicions that al-Qaida extremists were moving north to less protected regions beyond the U.S. security crackdown in Baghdad.
Al-Baghdadi criticized Kurdish leaders for their alliance with Shiites in Iraq's government and accused them encouraging unsavory morals. "The leaders of apostasy ... have impeded the march of Islam in Muslim Kurdistan and helped communism and secularism to spread. ... They insulted the religious scholars ... encouraged vices and women without veils," he said.
"We are giving the Persians, and especially the rulers of Iran, a two month period to end all kinds of support for the Iraqi Shiite government and to stop direct and indirect intervention ... otherwise a severe war is waiting for you," he said in the 50-minute audiotape. The tape, which could not be independently verified, was posted on a Web site commonly used by insurgent groups.
Iraq's Shiite-led government is backed by the U.S. but closely allied to Iran. The United States accuses Iran of arming and financing Shiite militias in Iraq, charges Tehran denies. In the recording, al-Baghdadi also gave Sunnis and Arab countries doing business in Iran or with Iranians a two-month deadline to cease their ties.
"We advise and warn every Sunni businessman inside Iran or in Arab countries especially in the Gulf not to take partnership with any Shiite Iranian businessman, this is part of the two-month period," he said. Al-Baghdadi said his group was responsible for two suicide truck bomb attacks in May in Iraq's northern Kurdish region. He said the attacks in Irbil and Makhmur showed the "Islamic jihad," or holy war, was progressing in the Kurdish areas.
At least 14 people were killed when a suicide truck bomb struck a government building in Irbil, Kurdistan's capital, on May 9. Four days later in Makhmur, another suicide truck bomb tore through the offices of a Kurdish political party, killing 50 people.
In the recording, the Islamic State of Iraq leader did not mention Saturday's deadly truck bomb in Armili, a Shiite town north of Baghdad, which killed more than 100 people. The attack was among the deadliest this year in Iraq and reinforced suspicions that al-Qaida extremists were moving north to less protected regions beyond the U.S. security crackdown in Baghdad.
Al-Baghdadi criticized Kurdish leaders for their alliance with Shiites in Iraq's government and accused them encouraging unsavory morals. "The leaders of apostasy ... have impeded the march of Islam in Muslim Kurdistan and helped communism and secularism to spread. ... They insulted the religious scholars ... encouraged vices and women without veils," he said.
Labels: Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, Al Qaeda, Iran, Islamic State in Iraq, Kurdistan
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Interior minister claims insurgent leader has been killed
Insurgency
(AFP) - US and Iraqi forces have killed the most senior insurgent leader in Iraq, Deputy Interior Minister Hussein Ali Kamal said on Thursday, in a major victory for the allies' security plan. Kamal said the militant chieftain known as Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, the head of the so-called Islamic State of Iraq, was killed on Wednesday in an armed clash in northwestern Baghdad.
"His body is under the control of the interior ministry," the junior minister told AFP. "His body has been identified." The Islamic State of Iraq is an umbrella group of Sunni insurgents dominated by Al-Qaeda in Iraq.
It has been blamed for attacks on Shiite civilians and has claimed responsibility for some of the bloodiest assaults on Iraqi security forces.
Separately, US military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Chris Garver said the military would hold a news conference later on Thursday to announce a "recent success against a senior leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq." According to an Iraqi security official in the northern city of Tikrit, Baghdadi's mourning family had already begun receiving well-wishers in his hometown of Dhuluiyah, around 75 kilometres (40 miles) north of Baghdad.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Baghdadi is a 37-year-old law graduate whose real name was Mohib and was well known in the region, itself known for its Al-Qaeda sympathies. Kamal said Baghdadi was killed in a clash in the Ghazaliyah neighbourhood of northwestern Baghdad, a flashpoint on one of the city's many sectarian fault lines and a focus of recent security operations.
His death would be the first major success of a 10-week-old joint US-Iraqi security operation, which has seen tens of thousands of extra troops and police flood the war-torn capital in a bid to quell sectarian bloodshed.
"His body is under the control of the interior ministry," the junior minister told AFP. "His body has been identified." The Islamic State of Iraq is an umbrella group of Sunni insurgents dominated by Al-Qaeda in Iraq.
It has been blamed for attacks on Shiite civilians and has claimed responsibility for some of the bloodiest assaults on Iraqi security forces.
Separately, US military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Chris Garver said the military would hold a news conference later on Thursday to announce a "recent success against a senior leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq." According to an Iraqi security official in the northern city of Tikrit, Baghdadi's mourning family had already begun receiving well-wishers in his hometown of Dhuluiyah, around 75 kilometres (40 miles) north of Baghdad.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Baghdadi is a 37-year-old law graduate whose real name was Mohib and was well known in the region, itself known for its Al-Qaeda sympathies. Kamal said Baghdadi was killed in a clash in the Ghazaliyah neighbourhood of northwestern Baghdad, a flashpoint on one of the city's many sectarian fault lines and a focus of recent security operations.
His death would be the first major success of a 10-week-old joint US-Iraqi security operation, which has seen tens of thousands of extra troops and police flood the war-torn capital in a bid to quell sectarian bloodshed.
Labels: Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, Dhuluiyah, Ghazaliyah, Hussein Ali Kamal, Islamic State of Iraq, Lieutenant Colonel Chris Garver, Mohib
Friday, April 20, 2007
Islamic State of Iraq announces establishment of cabinet
Insurgency
(SITE) - The Islamic State of Iraq announced in a 5:10 minute produced and issued to jihadist forums on Thursday, April 19, 2007, by its al-Furqan Foundation for Media Production, the establishment of the cabinet of the “first Islamic administration”. An individual indicated to be the official spokesman for the Islamic State sits at a desk with his face blurred, naming the ten Ministers in the group’s “cabinet” beneath the emir, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi:
Sheikh Abu Abdul Rahman al-Falahi as First Minister for the Emir of the Believers
Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, Minister of War
Professor Sheikh Abu Uthman al-Tamimi, Minster of Shari’ah Affairs
Professor Abu Bakr al-Jabouri, Minister of Public Relations
Professor Abu Abdul Jabar al-Janabi, Minister of Security
Sheikh Abu Muhammad al-Mashadani, Minister of Information
Professor Abu Khadr al-Eissawi, Minister of Martyrs and Prisoners Affairs
Engineer Abu Ahmed al-Janabi, Minister of Oil
Professor Mustafa al-A’araji, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries
Professor Dr. Abu Abdullah al-Zabadi, Minister of Health
From prior communications from the Islamic State of Iraq and its Emir, the group portrays itself as functioning as a state and governing body, possessing means of taxation and jurisprudence, the Mujahideen acting as arbiters, and providing security to Muslims. This latest propaganda of naming ministers is another step within these actions. The announcement unveiling an "Islamic Cabinet" for Iraq appeared to have multiple aims. One was to present the Islamic State of Iraq coalition as a "legitimate" alternative to the U.S.-backed, Shiite-led administration of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and to demonstrate that it was growing in power despite the U.S. military push against insurgents.
It also likely sought to establish the coalition's dominance among insurgents after an embarrassing public dispute with other Iraqi Sunni militants. The Islamic State of Iraq is a coalition of eight insurgent groups, the most powerful of them al-Qaida in Iraq. It was first announced in October, claiming to hold territory in the Sunni-dominated areas of western and central Iraq.
Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, the "war minister" is the name announced as the successor of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq who was killed in the summer of 2006. The U.S. military and Iraqi government have identified him by another pseudonym, Abu Ayyub al-Masri. The names listed by the spokesman were all pseudonyms and their real names were not known, though the pseudonyms included the names of some major Sunni Arab tribes. The video came on the heels of a rare public dispute between the coalition and other insurgent groups.
Sheikh Abu Abdul Rahman al-Falahi as First Minister for the Emir of the Believers
Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, Minister of War
Professor Sheikh Abu Uthman al-Tamimi, Minster of Shari’ah Affairs
Professor Abu Bakr al-Jabouri, Minister of Public Relations
Professor Abu Abdul Jabar al-Janabi, Minister of Security
Sheikh Abu Muhammad al-Mashadani, Minister of Information
Professor Abu Khadr al-Eissawi, Minister of Martyrs and Prisoners Affairs
Engineer Abu Ahmed al-Janabi, Minister of Oil
Professor Mustafa al-A’araji, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries
Professor Dr. Abu Abdullah al-Zabadi, Minister of Health
From prior communications from the Islamic State of Iraq and its Emir, the group portrays itself as functioning as a state and governing body, possessing means of taxation and jurisprudence, the Mujahideen acting as arbiters, and providing security to Muslims. This latest propaganda of naming ministers is another step within these actions. The announcement unveiling an "Islamic Cabinet" for Iraq appeared to have multiple aims. One was to present the Islamic State of Iraq coalition as a "legitimate" alternative to the U.S.-backed, Shiite-led administration of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and to demonstrate that it was growing in power despite the U.S. military push against insurgents.
It also likely sought to establish the coalition's dominance among insurgents after an embarrassing public dispute with other Iraqi Sunni militants. The Islamic State of Iraq is a coalition of eight insurgent groups, the most powerful of them al-Qaida in Iraq. It was first announced in October, claiming to hold territory in the Sunni-dominated areas of western and central Iraq.
Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, the "war minister" is the name announced as the successor of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq who was killed in the summer of 2006. The U.S. military and Iraqi government have identified him by another pseudonym, Abu Ayyub al-Masri. The names listed by the spokesman were all pseudonyms and their real names were not known, though the pseudonyms included the names of some major Sunni Arab tribes. The video came on the heels of a rare public dispute between the coalition and other insurgent groups.
Labels: Abu Ayyub al-Masri, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, cabinet, first Islamic administration, Islamic State of Iraq
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Islamic State of Iraq leader claims manufacture of group's own rockets
Insurgency
(SITE) - Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, the Emir of the Believers in the Islamic State of Iraq, speaks in the regard of the four years which have passed since the beginning of the U.S.-led War in Iraq, in an audio speech issued to jihadist forums today, Monday, April 16, 2007, by al-Furqan Foundation for Media Production, the official distributor and producer of multimedia for the Islamic State. This speech, the fourth from Baghdadi, is also his longest at 41:52 minutes, and is titled: “Years of Achievements in the Country of the Unifiers”. Akin to a statement from Islamic State on April 11 that remarked on the occasion of the four year anniversary of the “occupation”, Baghdadi discusses the benefits received by the Sunni Muslims in particular from the jihad in Iraq and portrays the group as the harbinger of victory and cause of the enemy’s defeat.
Baghdadi notes that Iraq has become a breeding ground for terrorists, agreeing with a title, “University of Terrorism”, and claims that its Mujahideen graduates are experts in the fields of electronics, explosives, and weaponry. Sunni families and tribes, he claims, have taken it upon themselves to rid their houses of kin who work for the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and women have volunteered for suicide operations. As he brags about the Islamic State’s abilities in shooting down enemy aircraft, he also announces that a particular rocket, the “Quds-1”, has entered into military production: “Quds-1 has entered the production phase, and has high specifications in terms of height, weight, range, and accuracy, such that it can compete favorably with the world's weapons systems with the same design goals.”
In addition, to military acumen, Baghdadi also claims that the Mujahideen are placed a foothold in the political realm, commanding attention and respect due to their actions in the jihad over the past four years. He states: “When the Mujahideen speak - people listen to them; when they threaten - they strike fear; and when they make peace - people obey them.”
Regarding ramifications of the War in Iraq on the United States, especially after the alleged victory of the insurgency, Baghdadi believes that it has been catastrophic on both its economy and government. The war, he states, has emptied the American budget at the expense of social security, health, and education spending, and soon the warhawks responsible, such as Donald Rumsfeld, George Tenet, and John Bolton, will sit in the “defendant’s bench”. He adds: “If our war is a war of morale, our benefit is that the so-called American juggernaut succumbs to Mujahideen strikes day and night. The American Marines and their technical abilities fell from grace in the hearts of the entire world.” Baghdadi also reiterates a constant in jihadist rhetoric that morale has deteriorated among the U.S. Army and soldiers are committing suicide in growing numbers, at the same time that the American public’s faith in their government has reached its nadir.
Near the conclusion of the speech, the call for unity amongst the insurgency is delivered to the major groups, including the Islamic Army in Iraq, which has recently come under fire from the jihadist community for its criticism of Baghdadi and Islamic State component group, al-Qaeda in Iraq. To the Islamic Army, Baghdadi emphasizes that the relationship between the groups is stronger than their differences, and urges to settle the conflict between them. He also entreats other groups, such as Ansar al-Sunnah, Mujahideen Army [Jeish al-Mujahideen] and Twentieth Revolution Brigades, to join under the banner of the Islamic State.
Baghdadi notes that Iraq has become a breeding ground for terrorists, agreeing with a title, “University of Terrorism”, and claims that its Mujahideen graduates are experts in the fields of electronics, explosives, and weaponry. Sunni families and tribes, he claims, have taken it upon themselves to rid their houses of kin who work for the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and women have volunteered for suicide operations. As he brags about the Islamic State’s abilities in shooting down enemy aircraft, he also announces that a particular rocket, the “Quds-1”, has entered into military production: “Quds-1 has entered the production phase, and has high specifications in terms of height, weight, range, and accuracy, such that it can compete favorably with the world's weapons systems with the same design goals.”
In addition, to military acumen, Baghdadi also claims that the Mujahideen are placed a foothold in the political realm, commanding attention and respect due to their actions in the jihad over the past four years. He states: “When the Mujahideen speak - people listen to them; when they threaten - they strike fear; and when they make peace - people obey them.”
Regarding ramifications of the War in Iraq on the United States, especially after the alleged victory of the insurgency, Baghdadi believes that it has been catastrophic on both its economy and government. The war, he states, has emptied the American budget at the expense of social security, health, and education spending, and soon the warhawks responsible, such as Donald Rumsfeld, George Tenet, and John Bolton, will sit in the “defendant’s bench”. He adds: “If our war is a war of morale, our benefit is that the so-called American juggernaut succumbs to Mujahideen strikes day and night. The American Marines and their technical abilities fell from grace in the hearts of the entire world.” Baghdadi also reiterates a constant in jihadist rhetoric that morale has deteriorated among the U.S. Army and soldiers are committing suicide in growing numbers, at the same time that the American public’s faith in their government has reached its nadir.
Near the conclusion of the speech, the call for unity amongst the insurgency is delivered to the major groups, including the Islamic Army in Iraq, which has recently come under fire from the jihadist community for its criticism of Baghdadi and Islamic State component group, al-Qaeda in Iraq. To the Islamic Army, Baghdadi emphasizes that the relationship between the groups is stronger than their differences, and urges to settle the conflict between them. He also entreats other groups, such as Ansar al-Sunnah, Mujahideen Army [Jeish al-Mujahideen] and Twentieth Revolution Brigades, to join under the banner of the Islamic State.
Labels: Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, al-Quds-1, Islamic State of Iraq, Jerusalem-1, rockets
Friday, April 13, 2007
Islamic Army in Iraq says Iran is a bigger enemy than the U.S.
Insurgency, Politics
(AP) - An Iraqi militant group has highlighted the split in the ranks of the Iraqi insurgency by having its spokesman give a television interview in which he accuses al-Qaida and its umbrella organization of killing its members and pursuing the wrong policies. "The gap has widened and the injustices committed by some brothers in al-Qaida have increased," Ibrahim al-Shimmari told Al-Jazeera television in an interview broadcast Wednesday and repeated Thursday.
Al-Shimmari was filmed sitting with Al-Jazeera's interviewer in an undisclosed location. He was wearing a red-and-white checkered keffiyeh but his face was blurred by video engineering. Al-Shimmari is the spokesman for the Islamic Army in Iraq, a Sunni militant group that first aired its grievances against al-Qaida and umbrella Islamic State of Iraq on its Web site last week. He took the division further in the TV interview, putting his name to the charges and giving specifics in answer to questions. He accused al-Qaida of killing 30 members of the Islamic Army, and said the Islamic State of Iraq's claim to constitute a state was both inaccurate and incorrect policy.
"We don't recognize (the Islamic State of Iraq). It is void. There is no state under crusader occupation. There is resistance," al-Shimmari said. He was more critical of Iranian influence in Iraq than American, apparently out of opposition to the growing power of Iraq's Shiite majority, a trend that Shiite-dominant Iran supports. "Our goal is to free Iraq from the American and Iranian occupation. There is a bigger Iranian occupation than the American one," he said. "The United States does not claim that Iraq is part of America. It came for its own interests, and that includes its imperialist project ... But Iran regards Iraq as a part of itself."
Al-Shimmari's comments provoked a series of postings on Islamic Web sites by militant sympathizers, who said they were saddened by the split. He said the Islamic Army used to be very close to al-Qaida in Iraq, but the two groups had increasingly diverged since al-Qaida leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed in a U.S. airstrike last June. "They killed 30 members of the Islamic Army," he said of al-Qaida.
He attacked Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, accusing him of violating Islamic law as well as sanctioning the "assassination" of fighters and forcing others to surrender their weapons to the umbrella group. The Islamic State of Iraq groups eight Sunni insurgent factions, of whom al-Qaida is deemed the most important. "The dream of every Muslim is to live in an Islamic nation. But an Islamic nation cannot be created in this way. It cannot be created under occupation," al-Shimmari said.
"We have sent our advice to the brothers in al-Qaida, and we sent messages to Sheik Osama bin Laden, the other jihad groups and all the religious scholars," he added, naming the founding leader of the al-Qaida network. He seemed eager to indicate that the division was not irreconcilable. He said the Islamic Army had refrained from turning its guns on al-Qaida.
An Islamic Web site on Thursday carried a message by a person who gave his name as Nabil al-Athari. "It is sad to see what is happening among the fighters in Iraq," he wrote. "The Islamic Army is Sunni and it has been fighting the enemies of religion for a while, just like the Islamic State of Iraq. Both did a lot. We need to bring the two groups together."
Al-Shimmari was filmed sitting with Al-Jazeera's interviewer in an undisclosed location. He was wearing a red-and-white checkered keffiyeh but his face was blurred by video engineering. Al-Shimmari is the spokesman for the Islamic Army in Iraq, a Sunni militant group that first aired its grievances against al-Qaida and umbrella Islamic State of Iraq on its Web site last week. He took the division further in the TV interview, putting his name to the charges and giving specifics in answer to questions. He accused al-Qaida of killing 30 members of the Islamic Army, and said the Islamic State of Iraq's claim to constitute a state was both inaccurate and incorrect policy.
"We don't recognize (the Islamic State of Iraq). It is void. There is no state under crusader occupation. There is resistance," al-Shimmari said. He was more critical of Iranian influence in Iraq than American, apparently out of opposition to the growing power of Iraq's Shiite majority, a trend that Shiite-dominant Iran supports. "Our goal is to free Iraq from the American and Iranian occupation. There is a bigger Iranian occupation than the American one," he said. "The United States does not claim that Iraq is part of America. It came for its own interests, and that includes its imperialist project ... But Iran regards Iraq as a part of itself."
Al-Shimmari's comments provoked a series of postings on Islamic Web sites by militant sympathizers, who said they were saddened by the split. He said the Islamic Army used to be very close to al-Qaida in Iraq, but the two groups had increasingly diverged since al-Qaida leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed in a U.S. airstrike last June. "They killed 30 members of the Islamic Army," he said of al-Qaida.
He attacked Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, accusing him of violating Islamic law as well as sanctioning the "assassination" of fighters and forcing others to surrender their weapons to the umbrella group. The Islamic State of Iraq groups eight Sunni insurgent factions, of whom al-Qaida is deemed the most important. "The dream of every Muslim is to live in an Islamic nation. But an Islamic nation cannot be created in this way. It cannot be created under occupation," al-Shimmari said.
"We have sent our advice to the brothers in al-Qaida, and we sent messages to Sheik Osama bin Laden, the other jihad groups and all the religious scholars," he added, naming the founding leader of the al-Qaida network. He seemed eager to indicate that the division was not irreconcilable. He said the Islamic Army had refrained from turning its guns on al-Qaida.
An Islamic Web site on Thursday carried a message by a person who gave his name as Nabil al-Athari. "It is sad to see what is happening among the fighters in Iraq," he wrote. "The Islamic Army is Sunni and it has been fighting the enemies of religion for a while, just like the Islamic State of Iraq. Both did a lot. We need to bring the two groups together."
Labels: Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, Al Qaeda, Ibrahim al-Shemmari, Iran, Islamic Army in Iraq, Islamic State of Iraq
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Islamic State of Iraq calls America 'chicken'
Insurgency
(RFE/RL) Abu Umar al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq, said in an audio recording posted on the Internet on March 13 that the United States is trying to come between his group and other jihadist groups. The message appears to have been recorded on February 6, because al-Baghdadi refers to an insurgent raid on a Mosul prison as happening "today".
Al-Baghdadi claimed that the current "media campaign against" his group is aimed at separating it from its "massive popular base" of support, and to distance the global jihad movement from the battlefield in favor of the nationalistic movements that are more moderate and more open. The statement referred to media reports that the United States may decide within six months to pull out of Iraq, calling U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney a "chicken" and saying the U.S. goal is now to return home with honor.
Al-Baghdadi also listed some 19 beliefs of his group in the March 13 statement, saying it wants to respond to lies written about it in the media. Among the beliefs listed are: an obligation to rule according to God's law, and a belief that secularism in all its facets and variations, such as nationalism, communism, and Ba'athism, is a clear heresy. "Therefore, we consider everyone who was involved with the political process, like the parties of [Sunni leaders Salih] al-Mutlaq, [Adnan] al-Dulaymi, [Tariq] al-Hashimi, and others to be infidels.... We also consider the [Iraqi] Islamic Party's methodology to be one of infidelity and apostasy.
Its creed and its path do not differ from those of the rest of the infidel and apostate methodology such as those of the parties of [Shi'ite leaders Ibrahim] al-Ja'fari and [Iyad] Allawi." Al-Baghdadi said his group considers it an obligation to fight the police and army and other security services "and to eliminate and destroy any building used" by the government. He added that the group considers non-Muslims enemies not protected under Islamic law.
Labels: Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, Islamic State of Iraq, Sunni leaders
Monday, March 12, 2007
Insurgents burn down houses in new tactic
Insurgency
(New York Times) Sunni militants burned homes in a mixed city northeast of Baghdad on Saturday and Sunday, forcing dozens of families to flee and raising the specter of a new intimidation tactic in Iraq’s evolving civil war, Iraqi officials and witnesses said. Attackers burned both Sunni and Shiite homes in a neighborhood of Muqdadiya, a city of about 200,000 in Diyala Province, about 60 miles from Baghdad. There were differing reports about how many houses were affected. A security official in Diyala said that at least 30 houses were completely burned, including occupied and abandoned buildings, while a Sunni Arab politician from the area said that only six houses were destroyed. Some witnesses said as many as 100 houses were set on fire.
Victims from both sects blamed the Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella organization for Sunni extremists that has taken over several other towns in the area. Residents said the group had recently demanded money, weapons and oaths of support from the local populace. They said the burnings were intended to scare people into giving in or running away. Dozens of families escaped the city, either left homeless by the attacks or terrified that they would be next.
The attacks reignited fears that Iraq is being hollowed out by efforts in some areas to drive out those who do not support an extremist sectarian agenda. Many mixed neighborhoods of Baghdad have already been transformed into homogenous enclaves, with Shiites and Sunnis issuing death threats to the minority sect and even those who intermarry or have cross-sectarian friendships.
Even before the house burnings over the weekend, Diyala had become a cauldron of daily violence, with American and Iraqi forces fighting a growing Sunni threat that has often overwhelmed the province’s Shiite leaders. Residents report that in some villages, the Islamic State of Iraq brazenly flies flags that declare loyalty to Abu Omar Al-Baghdadi, the group’s leader, in what appears to be both a warning and a taunt to the group’s opponents.
American military officials have said they are increasingly concerned about the area’s slide into chaos. The commander for northern Iraq, Maj. Gen. Benjamin R. Mixon, said this week that he had already shifted additional troops to the province and asked for extra reinforcements. On Thursday, Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq, said Diyala would “very likely” get more troops as part of an increase concentrated in Baghdad.
Victims from both sects blamed the Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella organization for Sunni extremists that has taken over several other towns in the area. Residents said the group had recently demanded money, weapons and oaths of support from the local populace. They said the burnings were intended to scare people into giving in or running away. Dozens of families escaped the city, either left homeless by the attacks or terrified that they would be next.
The attacks reignited fears that Iraq is being hollowed out by efforts in some areas to drive out those who do not support an extremist sectarian agenda. Many mixed neighborhoods of Baghdad have already been transformed into homogenous enclaves, with Shiites and Sunnis issuing death threats to the minority sect and even those who intermarry or have cross-sectarian friendships.
Even before the house burnings over the weekend, Diyala had become a cauldron of daily violence, with American and Iraqi forces fighting a growing Sunni threat that has often overwhelmed the province’s Shiite leaders. Residents report that in some villages, the Islamic State of Iraq brazenly flies flags that declare loyalty to Abu Omar Al-Baghdadi, the group’s leader, in what appears to be both a warning and a taunt to the group’s opponents.
American military officials have said they are increasingly concerned about the area’s slide into chaos. The commander for northern Iraq, Maj. Gen. Benjamin R. Mixon, said this week that he had already shifted additional troops to the province and asked for extra reinforcements. On Thursday, Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq, said Diyala would “very likely” get more troops as part of an increase concentrated in Baghdad.
Labels: Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, Islamic State of Iraq, Muqdadiya, Sunni insurgents
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Abu Omar al-Baghdadi not captured
Security, Insurgency
(AP) Iraqi officials said Saturday they had arrested a top al-Qaida official, but that he was not the terror mastermind Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, as they had identified him a day earlier. "After preliminary investigations, it was proven that the arrested al-Qaida person is not Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, but, in fact, another important al-Qaida official," said Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Mousawi, an Iraqi military spokesman. "Interrogations and investigations are still under way to get more information."
Al-Mousawi declined to give the suspect's name on Saturday. It was al-Mousawi who announced late Friday that al-Baghdadi had been captured. A senior adviser to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki also had told The Associated Press that al-Baghdadi had been taken into custody. The adviser spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information. The reported arrest followed rumors this week that al-Baghdadi's brother had been arrested in a raid near Tikrit.
Almost nothing is known of al-Baghdadi, including his real name and what he looks like; his capture would be difficult for officials to verify. The man captured Friday was found along with several other insurgents in a raid on the western outskirts of Baghdad, officials said. Al-Mousawi said the suspect at first identified himself as al-Baghdadi, and that his identity was corroborated by another man captured with him.
U.S. officials in Baghdad said they were looking into the arrest but could not confirm the suspect's identity. In Washington, Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman said Pentagon officials had received no official confirmation that al-Baghdadi was captured.
U.S. and Iraqi forces have increasingly focused on al-Baghdadi's group in their fight against Sunni insurgents, especially the hardcore religious extremists who have shown no interest in negotiating an end to their struggle. But some analysts have pointed out that the al-Qaida-linked extremists rebounded following the death last June of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the charismatic al-Qaida in Iraq leader who died in a U.S. airstrike in Diyala province.
Al-Mousawi declined to give the suspect's name on Saturday. It was al-Mousawi who announced late Friday that al-Baghdadi had been captured. A senior adviser to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki also had told The Associated Press that al-Baghdadi had been taken into custody. The adviser spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information. The reported arrest followed rumors this week that al-Baghdadi's brother had been arrested in a raid near Tikrit.
Almost nothing is known of al-Baghdadi, including his real name and what he looks like; his capture would be difficult for officials to verify. The man captured Friday was found along with several other insurgents in a raid on the western outskirts of Baghdad, officials said. Al-Mousawi said the suspect at first identified himself as al-Baghdadi, and that his identity was corroborated by another man captured with him.
U.S. officials in Baghdad said they were looking into the arrest but could not confirm the suspect's identity. In Washington, Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman said Pentagon officials had received no official confirmation that al-Baghdadi was captured.
U.S. and Iraqi forces have increasingly focused on al-Baghdadi's group in their fight against Sunni insurgents, especially the hardcore religious extremists who have shown no interest in negotiating an end to their struggle. But some analysts have pointed out that the al-Qaida-linked extremists rebounded following the death last June of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the charismatic al-Qaida in Iraq leader who died in a U.S. airstrike in Diyala province.
Labels: Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, Al Qaeda in Iraq, Brigadier Qasim Al Mussawi
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Islamic State denies capture of leader
Insurgency
(SITE) Media reports on Sunday, March 4, cited Iraqi Interior Ministry officials as claiming the arrest of Muharib Mohammed Abdullah, believed to be Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, in a joint raid by Iraqi and U.S. soldiers in Duluiyah, in Salah al-Din governorate. The following day, conflicting reports indicated the arrest of between two and four accomplices of Baghdadi, as well as doubt regarding Baghdadi’s capture.
The Islamic State of Iraq issued a statement to jihadist forums on Tuesday, March 6, 2007, denying recent claims by the Iraqi Ministry of Interior that the Emir of the Believers, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, and those close to him were arrested by Iraqi security forces. This allegation, the group insists, is the latest in invented stories by the “infidel Maliki government”. The Islamic State assures that all leading officials and responsible people of the group are with their families, and if something did in fact happen to a leader, an official announcement would have been made. They remind that jihad is based on “doctrine and belief” and not on specific men, meaning that it will not cease even if a leader is killed or arrested.
Labels: Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, arrest, Duluiyah, Islamic State of Iraq, Ministry of Interior
Islamic State of Iraq asks former Iraqi army to Islamic State
Insurgency
(SITE) The Islamic State of Iraq addressed members of the former Iraqi army in a statement issued on Monday, March 5, 2007, reminding them of the appeal from the group’s Emir, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, to join the Islamic State. The message stems from a conference held on Sunday by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki with commanders of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein’s army, urging them to join his national reconciliation project. This call, the Islamic State believes, is the result of incapability of the Iraqi government and its “American masters” to defeat the jihad. The group also warns the army officers from pursuing the same path as Sunni “betrayers” Salam Zakam and Tariq al-Hashemi, stating: “For those who sold their religion and their Ummah for a very cheap price and agreed to follow in Maliki’s footsteps, we have nothing for them but the cutting sword.”
The appeal by Abu Omar al-Baghdadi to which the statement refers is from his audio message of December 22, 2006, “Truth has Come and Falsehood has Vanished”. Here, Baghdadi addressed officers between the rank of lieutenant and major in the former Iraqi army, instructing them that to join the Islamic State they would have to meet certain requirements, including: being able to recite at least three chapters from the Qur’an and to pass an exam in Islamic doctrine by a Shari’a Committee. Baghdadi states: “This is to make sure that he is free from his unbelief with Ba’ath and its devil”.
The appeal by Abu Omar al-Baghdadi to which the statement refers is from his audio message of December 22, 2006, “Truth has Come and Falsehood has Vanished”. Here, Baghdadi addressed officers between the rank of lieutenant and major in the former Iraqi army, instructing them that to join the Islamic State they would have to meet certain requirements, including: being able to recite at least three chapters from the Qur’an and to pass an exam in Islamic doctrine by a Shari’a Committee. Baghdadi states: “This is to make sure that he is free from his unbelief with Ba’ath and its devil”.
Labels: Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, former Iraqi Army, Islamic State of Iraq
Friday, February 23, 2007
Islamic State of Iraq to step up attacks in retaliation for rape of Sunni women
Insurgency
(SITE) In a statement issued on Wednesday, the office of the Emir of the Believers, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, addressed the recent allegations by Sunni women in Baghdad and Tal Afar that Shi’ite police officers had raped them. The group argues that as Sunnis are helpless to rely on Sunni politicians in the “mockery government”, it is the role of the Mujahideen to respond with physically to these attacks. Baghdadi instructs the Mujahideen of the Islamic State to step up operations against the “Crusaders” and Shi’ites, and states: “You will see the cataclysmic response with the help of Allah Almighty, and what you saw of the blessed operations in the last days - which shook the security plan - are only the beginning, with the help of Allah.”
Labels: Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, Islamic State of Iraq, Mujahideen, rape
